The pale sun rose over the peaks of Mount Aeryon. The week of training was ending, yet for Asori it had been an endless hell.
His arms were covered in cuts, his skin bruised, and still his white aura burned with the same intensity as on the first day. Before him, five Megalos emerged from the forest: three wolves with blazing eyes, a reptile clad in black scales, and a humanoid aberration with arms as long as spears.
Eryndor, as always, watched from atop a rock, serene as if he were observing the flames of a campfire.
—Five against one. Ready? —he asked, without moving a muscle.
Asori swallowed, raising his fists.
—No choice, right?
The sage smiled.
—None.
The Megalos charged. The first, a wolf, leapt straight for his throat. Asori spun and unleashed a punch reinforced by wind. The blow was so brutal the beast dissolved into smoke before hitting the ground.
The reptile roared, its tail whipping like a lash. Asori barely had time to leap; the air lifted him a few meters. He twisted midair, focusing Astral into his palm.
—Aetherion!
The sphere of compressed wind roared like thunder as it struck the reptile. The blast ripped through it, tearing it into shards of dark smoke and gouging a crater into the ground.
Asori landed, panting, just in time to dodge the swipe of the humanoid Megalo. The creature unleashed a flurry of savage blows, but Asori moved fluidly, as if the wind whispered each attack to him. Every dodge was a dance, every counterstrike a howl of air.
—Come on! —Asori shouted, driving his knee into the monster, making the ground quake.
The other two wolves lunged at once, but Asori was no longer the clumsy boy of weeks past. He split the ground with an upward punch, raising a gust that flung them against the rocks. Then, charging an Aetherion into his right hand, he slammed it into the humanoid. The explosion was so fierce that all three Megalos vanished together.
Silence filled the clearing. Only the wind and Asori's heaving chest remained.
Eryndor descended from the rock, his gaze proud for the first time.
—You've done it. You hold the transformation, you use the air as an extension of your body, and the Aetherion… you can wield it properly now.
Asori fell to his knees, exhausted yet smiling.
—Then… am I ready for the tournament?
Eryndor raised a brow.
—We don't know yet. But at least you won't die in the first match.
Meanwhile, in the castle, steel clashed on steel in the training yard. Blair moved her sword with almost unreal grace, every strike flowing like a furious river. Her boots slid over the stone, the air shimmering with heat.
Opposite her, Mikan darted with feline speed, grinning as she blocked, countered, vanished, and reappeared behind Blair like a shadow.
—Not bad, Your Highness —Mikan teased, tossing a dagger that Blair deflected with a swift twist of her blade—. But you still fight like someone who's never known hunger. Your strikes have anger, sure… but not the desperation of one who fights to survive.
Blair's brow furrowed.
—You think I don't know what it means to lose? —Her voice rang hard—. I lost my parents, my kingdom, and I've watched my people enslaved by Zeknier. Don't talk as if I don't know suffering.
Her sword came down with such force Mikan had to retreat two steps.
The ninja tilted her head with a sly smile.
—You've got guts, I'll admit. But Asori… —she let out a light laugh—. That boy still looks like a child learning to walk. Jason, on the other hand… Jason is steel. If they were in my village, one would be the leader, the other just an apprentice.
Blair clenched her teeth. Jason's name still stung, but the comparison cut deeper.
—Don't ever compare Asori to Jason again —she said firmly, locking eyes with her—. He may not be perfect, not yet strong, but he has something Jason never did: heart.
Mikan raised a brow, surprised by the fire in Blair's tone.
—Oh… so he's no longer just your "friend." —She smirked—. How interesting.
Heat rushed to Blair's face, but she didn't look away.
Their duel grew fiercer, each blow charged with tension. The air crackled with their clash. Blair flipped back, leaving two arcs of fire racing toward Mikan.
—Interesting trick, —Mikan muttered.
She infused her blade with water and Astral, cutting through Blair's flames. Both smiled as they fought on.
Then, amid the exchange of blades, Mikan slipped in a strange comment:
—From what I know of Zeknier, he won't be so easy to defeat…
Blair froze.
—What do you mean, "from what you know"?
Mikan shrugged, dodging with a sly grin.
—Let's just say I have my own contacts. —Her tone was light, but there was an edge hidden within.
Blair narrowed her eyes. That answer wasn't enough. Something about the ninja didn't fit.
The fight ended when, exhausted, they dropped their weapons. Sweat gleamed on their skin, breaths ragged, yet their eyes shone with mutual respect, tinted by suspicion.
Before Blair could press her questions, a crash shook the castle gates. Guards rushed to the entrance.
And there he was.
Asori, covered in dust, his cloak and clothes torn and filthy as if carrying the weight of all his training, walked slowly with a near-dead Class B Megalo slung over his shoulders. The beast was massive, fangs like swords, claws still dripping dark blood. Asori's white aura still burned, his hair disheveled, his blue eyes shining like stars.
The guards froze. Some stepped back, others just stared in awe.
Blair's chest throbbed at once: the Sweet Kiss pulsed violently. Relief washed over her, her knees nearly giving out.
Mikan, beside her, caught her with a mocking smile.
—Your boyfriend returns stronger than I thought. How touching.
Blair ignored the jab. Her eyes were locked on Asori, who dropped the Megalo before the guards as if it weighed nothing, telling them to finish it. Still stunned, they obeyed, and the beast dissolved into smoke. Then Asori saw Blair and stepped toward her.
When they stood face to face, Blair couldn't hold back. She struck his chest lightly with a trembling fist.
—I'm back… Blair.
—Idiot… —she whispered, tears in her eyes—. Why did you make me feel your pain all week?
Asori blinked, surprised. A tired smile curved his lips.
—You felt it all… then I wasn't alone.
Blair's heart raced. Her aura vibrated as if it longed to merge with his.
Behind her, Mikan smirked.
—How romantic… Should I get you two a room?
Blair flushed scarlet.
—Shut up, Mikan!
Asori just scratched his head, confused.
Blair opened her mouth, heart in her throat. This was the moment—she wanted to say it, to confess…
But Mikan's laughter and the guards' curious stares held her back. She bit her lip and looked away.
Asori studied her, puzzled, but smiled. And Blair remained silent, carrying a secret she could no longer ignore.